Conduit electric railway



(No Model.) Y

L. R. A. H.'LAVALLE.

- vGONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY. No. 542,164. Patented July 2, 1895.l

TTOHNEYS.

(No Model.)

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Patented Ju:1;ly'2,1895

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W/TNESSES:

(No Model.) l 4 sheets-sheet 4.

L. R. 8v A. H. LAVALLE. GONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.'

ATTORNEYS;

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS R. LAVALLE AND ALBERT H. LAVALLE, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,164, dated July 2, 1895.

Application led March 17, 1894. Serial No. 503.997 (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LOUIS R. LAVALLE and ALBERT H. LAVALLE, of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Conduit Electric Railway, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in that class of electric railways in which the line-wire is carried in an underground conduit; and the objectl of our invention is to produce a comparatively simple system of this kind, in which a continuous supply-wire is used, and in which the trolley is arranged in a series of blocks fed from the supply-wire, but out of circuit 'except when the trolley is in contact with them. v

A further object of our invention is to provide a very simple and positively working switch which is adapted to automatically cut in the successive blocks and cut them out as the trolley progresses.

Another object of our invention is to produce a very simple and efficient trolley which is adapted to make positive contact with the trolley-wire,which is also adapted to operate the switches of the line, which forms a perfect conductor of the current from the trolleywire to the motor, which is vertically extensible so as to adapt itself to the varying load of the car to which it is attached, and which is separable longitudinally, so that in case a car jumps the track the trolley parts and no great harm ensues.

To these ends our invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 of the conduit, showing our system. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified form of the conduit. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5 of the switch which sends the current from the supply-wire to the trolley-wire. Fig. 5 is the wire ends.

a vertical longitudinal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a broken detail plan of the trolley and switch wires, showing their means of insulation and support. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. 55

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail side elevation of one of the insulating-cushions used to support Fig. 9 is a cross-section through the trolley and switch wires, and shows the insulating-support in elevation. Fig. l0 is a detail lplan view of the arrangement of the conduit at a turn-out. Fig. 11 is a detail plan View of the support for the trolley-arm. Fig. 12 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 12 l2 of Fig. 13, and Fig. 13 is avertical section on the line 13 13 of Fig. 12.

In carryingout our invention we employ a conduit 10, which is preferably of metal and is also preferably of rectangular cross-section, this conduitbeing arranged in the usual manner between the track-rails 1l and having the customary longitudinal top-slot 12, through which the trolley-arm passes, While at intervals in the top are manholes 13, through which the interior of the conduit may be reached. The conduit is provided at necessary intervals with cross-braces 14, which form supports for the wires and other mechanism, as hereinafter described, and the roof of the conduit is strengthened and sustained by braces 14". (See Fig. 2.) lnstead,however, of constructing the. conduit as described, it may be made, as shown in Fig. 3, with vertical walls 15 and with a closing center-plate 16, which forms its roof and which extends from rail to rail, the plate being slotted, as shown at 17, for the passage of the trolley-arm.

Extending longitudinally through the trolley, and preferably at one side, is a supplywire 18, carrying the main current, this being held in insulators 19, and on the opposite side of the conduit is a return-wire 20, although this may be arranged in any convenient part of the conduit, and the return-wire is connected with the rails by the branchwires 21, but, if desired, it may be returned\ direct to the source of supply Without connecting with the rails.

The conduit carries beneath the slot par. allel wires 22 and 23, which are arranged in IOO blocks, as clearly illustrated in Fig.'1, the wire 22 serving as a trolley-wire and the wire 23 serving as a switch-wire to convey the current to the switch-operating magnets, as hereinafter described; but the trolley-wheels run on both these wires. The ends of the wires 22 approach nearer than the ends of the wires 23, so that the trolley wheels leave the wires 23 first, and thus prevent the forming of an arc or excessive sparking. The wires 22 and 23 have depending ends 24, which project down through the insulating-blocks 25, these being.preferably of porcelain, although other material may be used, and the wires are fastened by nuts 26 on their lower ends, which nuts lie in a recess 26? in the under side of each block. There is a drain-hole 25L in the center of each block. flanges 27 which enable them to be conveniently fastened to the braces 14 or equivalent supports, and on the blocks are insulating cushions28, through which the wires pass, and these cushions have raised central portions 29, which extend between the adjacent ends ot' the wires, as shown clearlyin 11`igs.6 and 7.

Adjacent to the ends of each set of wires 22 or 23 is a switch 30, which is held preferably in a metallic box or case 31, and which is adapted to shift the current from the supplywire through the trolley-wire in the manner described below. Each switch is provided with electro-magnets 32 which connect by a wire 33 with the switch-wire 23 of one of the adjacent blocks, and by a wire 34 with the return-wire 20. Consequently when the trolley strikes the switch-wire and the trolley-wire the circuit passes through the trolley wheels and through the wires 33 and 34 to the returnwire, thus energizing the magnets and working the switch.

Opposite the magnets 32 is a swinging armature 35, which is normally pulled away from the magnets by a spring 36, and which is hinged, as shown at- 37, to a rigid section 38, connected with one pole of the magnets, and this arrangement provides for a strong and a long pull when the magnets are energized. The free end of the armature is connected by a link 39 with a sliding-rack 40, which moves in a support 41 and engages the segmental rack 42 of a cross-shaft 43 which is mounted in suitable bearings 44 and has contact-arms 45 of conducting material, adapted to engage the contact-springs 46, which are arranged in the paths of the arms and are connected by means of wires 47 and 48 with the supply-wire 18 and the trolley-wire 22. (See Fig. 1.)

It will be seen that as soon as the trolley strikes the switch and trolley Wires the current will be carried through the magnets 3,2, as above described, and this will cause the armature to swing and move the rack 40 in a way to turn the shaft 43 and throw the arms 45 into engagement with the contact-springs 46, after which the current will pass from the supply-wire 18 through the wire 47, the conlhe blocks have end tact-springs 46 and the switch-arms and shaft connecting them, the wire 48, the trolley wire 22, and from the trolley to the motor in the usual way.

In connection with the wires and conduit described a trolley illustrated in Figs. l1 to 13, snsed. This trolley is hung in a supporting-plate 49, which is carriedon stringers 50, attached to a'car, the plate having an elliptical slot 5l therein, the shortest diameter of which is somewhat greater than the diameter of the upper cylinder or hanger 52 of the trolley, so that the said hanger may have the necessary movement in the plate. rlhis hanger has trunnions 53 at its upper end, which turn in sockets 54 inthe supportingplate 49, so that the hanger has free lateral motion or swing to adapt it to curves, dac., in the conduit. 1n the cylinder orhanger 52 are longitudinal grooves or keyways 55, which extend from a point near the top to the bottom of the cylinder, and in these keyways lit and slide the keys 56 on the lower cylinder 57 of the trolley-arm, which lower cylinder is normally pressed downward by a spring 58 coiled in the upper part of the cylinder 52.

Within the lower cylinder 57 is a contacttube 59 of good conducting material, which is thoroughly insulated and is held in place by insulating rings 60, these being secured by bushings 61 and 6 2 or by equivalent fastenings. Connecting with this contact-tube 59 is a conductor 63, which extends downward through the lower end or arm 64 of the trolley and connects with the truck-frame 65 of the trolley, this frame being preferably made in two parts, with meeting iianges 65, which are bolted together, and the frame is thoroughly insulated from the trolley-arm by the insulating-packing 66, which is held between the [langes 67 of the trolley-arm 64 and overlaps the upper and lower portions of the truck-frame 65, the packing being preferably made in two parts to facilitate its application to the trolley-arm.

The truck-frame is provided with four wheels 68, arranged in pairs on opposite sides and adapted to run on the wires 22 and 23. These wheels are carried on axles 69, j ournaled in hangers or bearings 70, supported by the truck-frame 65. Two wheels might be used, but four are preferably employed, to enable the trolley to easily span the insulating-cushions 29 and connect the ends of the adjacent wires 22 and 23, so as to effect the switching of the current in the manner described above.

Within the contact-tube 59 is a sliding spring contact-head 71 on the end of a conducting-rod 72, which rod extends upward through the trolley-hanger' and is at its up per end insulated by means of soft rubber blocks in a supporting bracket or plate 73, which is fastened to the supporting-plate 49. It will thus be seen that the trolley may have the necessary up-and-down movement, the cylinder 57 sliding within the cylinder 52,

IOO

and the contact-head will have a similar v movement within the tube 59 and will make a positive contact therewith. passes from the trolley-wire through the trol-` ley-wheels and frame, up through the conductor 63, the tube 59, the contact-head 7l, the conductor 72, and from this to the motor in the usual way.

In Fig. 10 we have shown the arrangement of the conduit and a guide for the trolley at a turn-out. The conduit-slot 12 is met by the converging slots 74 and 75 at a turn-out, and extending across the slot 7 4, and parallel with the slot 75, is a guide-arm 76, which is arranged in the conduit and is adapted to close against a stop 78, being pressed into engagement with the stop by a spring 77. When the trolley comes up the slot 74 it strikes the guide-arm 76, knocks it to one side, and passes on intothe slot l2;\but when the trolley comes the other way it strikes the guide-block 76 and is guided into the slot 75.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an electric railway, the combination with the trolley and switch wires, of the insulating supporting blocks arranged beneath the wire ends, means for fastening the wires to the blocks, and insulating cushions arranged between the wires and the blocks, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the switch and trolley wires having bent ends, ofthe supporting and insulating blocks to carry the wires, the blocks having recesses in their bottoms to receive fastening nuts on the wires, and insulating cushions arranged between the wires and the blocks, substantially as described.

' 3. In an electric railway, the combination with the trolley wires arranged in blocks, and thevsupply and return wires, of the switch comprising an electro-magnet, a swinging armature adjacent to the magnet, a sliding rack actuated by the magnet, a pair of swinging switch armsractuated by the rack, contact springs to engage the arms, and electrical con- The current nections whereby the switch is operated by the passingof a trolley on the trolley and switch wires, substantially as described.

4. In an electric railway, the herein-described trolley, comprising a cylindrical hanger, a second spring-depressed cylinder arranged within the hanger, an insulated contact tube in the second cylinder, a truck insulated on the lower end of the trolley, a conductor leading from the truck to the contact tube, and a conductor held in the upper part of the trolley and having a sliding contact with the contact tube, substantially as described.

5. In an electric railway, the herein-described trolley, comprising an extensible hanger or arm, a truck insulated on the lower end of the hanger or arm, a contact tube within the hanger, a conductor connecting the truck with the contact tube, and a second conductor held in the upper part of the hanger and provided with a head to enter the contact tube, substantially as described.

6. In an electric railway, the herein-described trolley, comprising an upper cylinder pivoted on a support, a second spring-depressed cylinder held `within the upper cylinder, an arm secured to the lower cylinder,a truck insulated on the arm, a contact tube within the lower cylinder, a conductor leading from the truck to the contact tube, and a second conductor held in the upper part of the hanger and provided with a head to enter the contact tube, substantially as described.

7. The combination with slotted supporting plate having trunnion sockets in its upper side, of the swinging hanger having sliding sections, and trunnions, as specified, the conducting rod xed as to vertical movement, also insulated as shown, and having a sliding contact head, as shown and described.

LOUIS R. LAVALLE. ALBERT H LAVALLE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD W. CHAPIN, VRICHARD G. KILDUFF. 

